A Little Change Can Make a Big Difference

☕ Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Good morning, friends.♥️

Well, we’re back to the routine of just the three of us again. Clayton headed back to school yesterday, and it’s crazy how quickly he went from not feeling well to pretty much being back to his normal self. I’m thankful for that, but now we have to wait through the whole month of October before we hopefully get to see him the first weekend in November. I don’t like having to go that long without seeing him, but between wrestling and work, it is what it is. We may make a trip down there, but we’ve got so much going on over the next few weeks that it’s just a crazy time of year.

And speaking of that, Friday is October 1st. How is that even possible? October means we’re heading into the last quarter of the year, and it seems like all of the holidays get packed into these last few months. Before we know it, we’ll be talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas and wondering where the year went. It really is my favorite time of the year.

Tonight is also our last regular-season fall ball game, and then hopefully we’ll get information about the tournament. The boys have done

relatively well this year. It’s been interesting watching them because they’re a new group of kids playing together, and there are quite a few new players on the team. They’ve had to learn each other and figure out how to play together, and I think they’ve done pretty well.

Today is also what I always call “Monday at the office.” It’s Tuesday, but Tuesday always feels like Monday to me, and I’m okay with that. 😂 I’m going into work today thinking about some of the things I’ve been trying to work on lately, especially finding ways to increase the positivity around the office and help everyone work together without so much drama.

The truth is, work can be really frustrating. We’re dealing with compression issues, low morale, a lack of workers, and so many other things that add stress to an already difficult job. Sometimes it feels like instead of being able to sit down and figure out what works best for our team, we’re constantly being handed something else that we’re expected to figure out. It gets frustrating, and it gets exhausting.

There are honestly days when part of me wants to walk into that building and pray in every hallway. I want to ask God to put His hands all over that building, protect the people who work there, help us work together, and help us remember why we’re there in the first place.

Because underneath all of the workplace frustrations, there are children who need us. There are families who are struggling and sometimes don’t know what to do or where to turn. Some of them are dealing with circumstances that are far beyond what they know how to handle on their own. That’s why we do this work.

We don’t do it because it’s always easy. We don’t do it because it’s always what’s best for us or because it makes our own lives easier. We do it because there are children who need someone to help protect them and families who need someone to help them find their way through difficult circumstances.

I know there are conversations about why God would allow bad things to happen to children. I hear people say, “God wouldn’t put them through that,” or “God wouldn’t do that to a child.” And I understand what they’re trying to say. God doesn’t cause those terrible things to happen. But the reality is that terrible things do happen to children, and sometimes it’s because the people who were supposed to protect and support them didn’t.

That’s hard to accept, and it’s one of the reasons this work matters so much.

So today, I’m going to walk into work and try to focus on the reason I’m there instead of allowing all of the frustrating things to consume me. I’m going to say a prayer as I walk in and ask God to help me keep a positive attitude, even when it’s difficult. I can’t control everything that happens around me, but I can control how I respond to it.

And I’m actually excited about something small today. We’re moving my desk! 😂

That may sound completely ridiculous, but sometimes little changes are exactly what we need. Moving my desk isn’t going to change the problems at work. It’s not going to fix staffing or morale or all of the other things that are frustrating. But it will give me a different view, a different space, and something that feels a little new.

Sometimes a little change can give us a fresh perspective.

Maybe that’s something we all need to remember. We don’t always have the ability to completely change our circumstances, but sometimes we can change the way we approach them. We can look for something good. We can choose not to participate in the drama. We can encourage somebody who is having a bad day. We can pray before we react. And we can remind ourselves why we’re doing what we’re doing.

That’s what I’m going to try to do today. I’m going to walk into the office, say my prayer, move my desk, and try to find the good in the middle of all the things that can make it difficult to see it.

Because there is always something good worth looking for.

And maybe that’s my challenge for you today too. If you’re facing something frustrating, overwhelming, or just plain difficult, look for one small thing you can change. Maybe it’s your surroundings, maybe it’s your attitude, maybe it’s the way you respond to someone, or maybe it’s simply taking a few minutes to pray before you start your day.

We don’t have to fix everything today. Sometimes we just need to take the next step and trust God with the rest.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday, friends. I’m going to go get my coffee, head to work, move my desk, and see what today brings.

Until tomorrow. ❤️

Mandy